NEWSLETTER - North South University
Transcript of NEWSLETTER - North South University
NEWSLETTER DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Volume 4 / Issue 1
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Dear Colleagues,
As the Summer 2018 starts with a mission of some crucial activities, it gives
me immense pleasure to inform you that the MIB department has been
actively busy with an array of events throughout the Spring 2018 semester.
In Spring 2018 semester the MIB-Self Assessment Committee for IQAC
submitted a report that was evaluated by three external peer reviewers. The
EPR team critically observed the MIB department‟s activities along with
course curriculum. At the end of their observation, the EPR team announced the MIB department activities and overall score by “Very Good.”
However, several recommendations they shared that are required to be
implemented in upcoming years. Also, the IQAC team invited Professor Dr.
Ramendra Singh (Associate professor of IIM Calcutta) for leading two
sessions at MIB department.
On the research front, our research committee‟s team members were
involved in publishing empirical research work, in which one of the research
article was accepted in ABDC “A” ranked journal.
In the classrooms, several faculty members brought in guest speakers to
augment classroom learning. Additionally, all the course coordinators
worked exceptionally hard on coordination, to upkeep the standard of our course contents and classroom teaching.
The Marketing Club (TMC) successfully hosted Hashtag Marketing V.3
event. Meanwhile, the MIB‟s “Outreach Committee” and “Students‟
Engagement” team also hosted two separate seminars for leveraging students‟ knowledge about the practical international business
environment.
Finally, the assessment of curriculum and planning committee organized a
meeting that was comprised of industry experts for modifying course content
of “International Business” major and take the initiative on how to improve the reputation of “major in international business” within the job market.
The end of the semester also stars with the “Holy month Ramadan”. As we
say goodbye to one semester, we are geared up for the upcoming semester
with even more scheduled activities by the clubs, Research Committee, SAC (IQAC), visits from foreign and local delegates and much more.
Dr. Mohammad Tayeenul Hoque
Chairman
Department of Marketing & International Business
IN THE DEPARTMENT
SAC (IQAC) Workshops: Professor Dr. Ramendra Singh from IIM Calcutta, India.
The Self-Assessment Committee (SAC) of the Department of
Marketing and International Business (MIB), School of
Business & Economics (SBE), under Institutional Quality
Assurance Cell (IQAC) conducted two separate workshops on
Thursday, February 08, 2018.
The chief guest for both of the sessions was Dr. Ramendra
Singh, Professor, Indian Institute of Management (IIM),
Calcutta. The title of the first workshop was “Awareness
building of Increasing Quality in writing for top-tier indexed
journals” and was held at SBE Dean‟s Conference Room. The
goal of the workshop was to highlight the importance of
publishing in high-tier indexed journals and the quality
assurance needed to publish in these journals.
Attended by a wide array of faculty members from SBE, the
workshop demonstrated practical strategies to achieve these
goals with Professor Singh contributing valuable insights
from his personal experience.
The second workshop was titled “Innovation and Marketing
at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP)." Held at AUDI801, the
workshop highlighted the innovative ideas, processes, and
practices implemented in the BOP market of India. Professor
Singh elucidated to the audience (consisting of both faculty
members and students) the importance of innovation needed
to serve this market and the innovative ideas generated by
the BOP segment. The session ended with closing remarks
addressed by the Chairman of the MIB department.
EPRT Visit
The external peer review team (EPRT) was appointed by the
IQAC (Institutional Quality Assurance Cell) in consultation
with the SAC (Self-assessment committee). The EPRT team
included three experts: Professor Dr. Rashmi Aggarwal,
Foreign QA Expert, Professor, IMT, Ghaziabad, India; Mr.
Mamoon Al Rasheed (Local QA Expert), Assistant Professor,
Department of Computer Science and Engineering and
Picture: Workshop 2 at Audi 801
Picture: Workshop 1 at Dean’s conference room
Additional Director, IQAC State University of Bangladesh, Bangladesh; and Mr. Mohammad Rakib Uddin
Bhuiyan (Subject Expert), Associate Professor and Chairman, Department of International Business,
University of Dhaka.
The EPRT studied the SAR (Self-assessment report) prepared by the SAC before visiting the Department of
Marketing & International Business at North South University to observe the various aspects of the
undergraduate program. The EPRT prepared a peer-reviewed report by the study, critical review of the SAR
and observations of activities of DPA. The report identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the program and
offers recommendations for further improvement of the program.
The EPRT team considered several aspects including governance, curriculum content and design, teaching-
learning and assessment, staff and facilities, and student support services, amongst others on March 17th
and March 19th, 2018. By the end of the third day, the EPRT was able to conclude the observations based on
the information provided in the SAR and from its own experience of site visits and submitted the exit report to
the Director of the IQAC of North South University.
IN THE CLASSROOM
MKT 623 Guest Speakers
On March 29th, Dr. Farzana (Assistant Professor of MIB Department)
invited Mr. A S M Faisal, General Manager, Enterprise PMO, Robi
Axiata Ltd. to lead a session of MKT 623 (Promotional Management)
MBA level. Mr. A S M Faisal has worked in several departments of
Robi such as the department of product, market strategy, brand &
market communications. To enhance MBA level students’ business’s
integrated communication knowledge, Mr. A S M Faisal spoke about
the promotional tools Robi is using at present, the challenges Robi
frequently faces to deal with changing customer demands in the
telecommunication industry, and digital promotional mechanisms
he applied to retain customers base. He also shared post-acquisition
integration process of Robi and Airtel, and the challenges they are
facing to retain customers. This practical session was highly
influential for students to realize the different pattern of integrated
marketing communication competencies within high-tech industry.
MKT 465 Guest Speakers
Ms. Narmin Tartila Banu, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Marketing & International Business, invited
two industry experts to address the students taking her course MKT 465 (Brand Management). The first
speaker, Chowdhury Asifuzzaman, Senior Manager, Boomerang Digital, addressed the fourth year
undergraduate students taking Brand Management (MKT 465). His main topics of discussion were based on
the basics of Digital Marketing and how Digital Marketing is a major aspect of modern day marketing. With
undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Marketing
from Brunel University London and work experience as a
senior manager at a digital marketing agency,
Chowdhury Asifuzzaman was an ideal person to lecture
the class on how the industry is shaping up. He also
showcased some of the digital marketing campaigns that
his company has done and gave the class a taste of how
real campaigns are developed and executed. The students
were delighted at a chance to interact and network with
an industry expert and his team.
The second speaker, Manas Paul, Associate Director,
Asiatic EXP, also addressed final year undergraduate
students taking Brand Management (MKT 465) in a
separate session. Manas Paul, an alum from IBA,
University of Dhaka, had spent close to a decade working
on the activation side of the marketing field. The session covered how BTL activations are designed to build
brand equity. Manas Paul cited various real-world examples of campaigns that he and his team had developed
within the BTL scope. The students benefited from the practical insights as well as the opportunity to network
with industry personnel.
Seminar on ‘Impact of Digital Marketing’
How is consumer tracking done on social media? What
are some of the most practiced social media trends that
marketers follow to create brand synergies on digital
media? How is social media audit done to accumulate
essential customer data? When students with all their
enthusiasms were asking these questions, a somewhat
poised Mr. Ruhullah Raihan Alhussain, Chief Digital
Business and Marketing Officer of ADN Group answered
all the queries. The entire auditorium, filled with
undergraduate students from School of Business &
Economics was buzzing with enthusiasm as Mr.
Ruhullah was unfolding many of the contemporary
secrets of digital marketing and beyond in the seminar.
The Seminar entitled „The Impact of Digital Marketing‟ on
March 13 at Audi 801 was planned and hosted by Mr.
Omar Nasif Abdullah, lecturer, Department of Marketing
and International Business with the help of Department of Marketing & International Business and ADN
Digital. The seminar intended to bring industry insights into the classroom especially for the students of
marketing with courses like Promotional Management, Digital Marketing, and Brand Management.
Dr. Mohammad Tayeenul Houque, Chairman of Marketing & International Business Department, inaugurated
the seminar with his words of encouragement. He stressed the importance of such collaboration between
industry and academia to create a holistic learning experience for students. Mr. Ruhullah then gave a
comprehensive presentation on the topic for about 45 minutes followed by a very participative Q & A session.
OUTREACH COMMITTEE’S ACTIVITY
On 7th February 2018, outreach committee of
MIB department organized a seminar session
where Mr. Shamim Kabir the CEO of Step
Footwear and who is an NSU alumni from 97
batch was a guest for that session. Mr.
Shamim Kabir shared his entrepreneurship
journey, his struggles to start the footwear
business, and his learning through struggles
among students. He discussed how a firm
could be internationalized and within local
market how latecomers become a key player
in the Footwear industry. Before starting the
footwear business, Mr. Shamim introduced the industrial adhesive namely “Nan-Pao” to local footwear
manufacturers. Later on, in 2006 Mr. Kabir established the very first plastic shoe last manufacturing plant in
Bangladesh namely “Step Shoe Last & Accessories Co. Ltd,” a contemporary footwear brand that is specialized
in creating comfortable together with stylish shoes at an affordable price. Students were inspired by his
speech and presentation, asked him critical questions regarding the importance of comprehending the nature
of “International Business” and different aspects of marketing competencies that “Step Footwear” uses for
long-run profitability achievement. This event was hosted by Dr. Farzana Nahid, Assistant Professor,
Department of Marketing and International Business.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
International Journey of HATIL: Hurdles and Opportunities of Operating in an International
Environment
A seminar titled “International Journey of HATIL: Hurdles and Opportunities of Operating in an International
Environment” was held on March 8, 2018. It was organized and hosted by the Student Engagement
Committee of the Department of Marketing & International Business, NSUSBE with the collaboration of “The
Marketing Club” (TMC) and “International Business Club” (IBC).
The keynote speaker was the Head of
Marketing of HATIL Complex Limited, Mr. Firoz
Al Mamun. Mr. Mamun gave a historical
overview of HATIL Furniture Limited‟s journey
from 1966 till date as to how they have
expanded the brand into the international
arena. Today they are one of the largest
furniture retailers in Bangladesh with six
direct company-operated showrooms and 67
franchised showrooms in the world. They are
also exporting their goods to USA, UAE, KSA,
Kuwait, and Qatar. HATIL is one of the few
companies in Bangladesh which is FSC (Forest
Stewardship Council) certified, meaning their
furniture is made in compliance with
preserving nature.
Mr. Mamun told the students that their
expansion was not done overnight. Rather, it
took them years to plan and execute their global expansion. He stated that “In furniture, you need to drive the
customers rather than be driven by them”. Mr. Mamun advised the students first to know the market they are
in along with the competitors, and then come up with a counter plan. Only after practical market analysis can
product positioning and design be implemented.
The seminar was graced by the Chairman of the department who thanked the audience, organizers, and
especially the keynote speaker for his insightful presentation.
ASSESSMENT OF CURRICULUM AND PLANNING COMMITTEE
Second meeting (Spring-2018) of ACPC of the Department of Marketing and INB (MIB) was held on April 26,
2018, at 12.00 PM in the conference room of the department. The meeting was chaired by Associate Professor
Dr. Tamgid Ahmed Chowdhury along with other members [Dr. Mohammad Tayeenul Hoque (Chair,
Department of MIB); Dr. Husain Saliul Akareem, Associate Professor Dr. Muhammad Sabbir Rahman, Ms.
Zarjina Tarana Khalil, Ms. Aditi M. Mahmud, Ms. Narmin Tartila Banu, Ms. Farzana Choudhury, Ms. Samira
Rahman, Ms. Adina Malik, Ms. IshratJahanSynthia, Dr. Abu NomanM Atahar Ali (Chair, Department of Law),
Mr. Md. Shahidullah Azim (MD, Classic Group and Ex VP, BGMEA) (Invited Industry Expert), Mr. Ajmat
Iqbal (CEO, REVE Systems) (Invited Industry Expert)]. The main agenda of the 2ndmeeting was to get input
from the industry experts regarding the inclusion of new market-driven major courses in International
Business (IB). Two guests were invited from the corporate arena. Dr. Tayeenul Hoque proposed four new
courses that are offered in other renowned universities and suggested that the committee might discuss on
them. The recommended courses were: Transnational Commercial Law, International Trade and E-commerce
Law, International Fashion Merchandising, and The Economies of China and India. While discussion, several
members suggested that instead of calling the Economies of China and India, the title can be more
generalized and renamed to The Economies of Emerging Nations. Mr. Md. Shahidullah Azim in his discussion
argued that there are many opportunities for students graduating with IB major. As the RMG sector of
Bangladesh is likely to boom due to China‟s possible shift to the Tech-oriented industry from RMG, there will
be significant demand for IB graduates in the near future.
Mr. Ajmat Iqbal said that we still lack in
capabilities to promote our country internationally.
To reach both direct and indirect foreign
customers, Mr. Iqbal suggested offering a module
on “International Customer Relationship
Management”. Dr. Tamgid suggested the
possibility if the MIB faculty members could be
sent out for practical training in the corporates
through getting support from BGMEA. Mr. Azim
highly appreciated this concept and said that this
would help the academics to teach the courses
with better practical knowledge of operations. It
was also proposed by several members of that
department of MIB would organize information
sessions to encourage students to do major in INB.
On those sessions, existing in-house academics,
industry experts, and INB alumni will be invited to
talk about the prospects of doing major in INB
from NSU.
RESEARCH FOCUS
SEM Workshop
On February 1, 2018, Dr. Mohammad Tayeenul Hoque, the honorable Chairman of the Department of
Marketing and International Business, organized a research training session titled “Structural equation
modeling: Theory and practice of SEM using Mplus”. The purpose of the training was to share comprehensive
qualitative and quantitative research understanding through the exclusive Mplus software. Mr. Hoque
explained and showed the participants various aspects of robust quantitative data analysis techniques such
as exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Mediating, moderating effect and
Structural equation modeling (SEM). The workshop added much needed quantitative skills to aspiring
researchers looking for more robust data analysis techniques.
SIMSR Global Marketing Conference Winners
Three of our faculty members Ms. Zarjina Khalil, Ms. Narmin Tartila Banu, and Mr. Faiz Hossain attended the
13th SIMSR Global Marketing Conference organized by the KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and
Research. The event was held on 15-16 February 2018 at the SIMSR campus in Mumbai. The team presented
their paper titled “Understanding the Attitude towards Online Grocery Shopping: A Study on Consumers of
Dhaka”. Ms. Zarjina Khalil was also the Session Chair for the track on Attributes of Consumer Behavior. The
two-day conference saw the presentation of about sixty papers from all over India, both from the corporate
and academic world. It is a matter of immense pleasure for us that out of all these submissions, the MIB team
won the „Best Paper Award‟ at the conference.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Md. Afnan Hossain
Rahman, M.S., Mannan, M., Hossain, M. A.& Zaman, M.H. (2018). Patient's Behavioral Intention: Public and Private
Hospitals Context. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 36(3). Emerald Publishing. Journal Indexed by Scopus, Zetoc,
Thomson Reuters Emerging Sources Citation Index, Ranked by ABS and Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) – A
rank.
Rahman, M.S., Hossain, M. A., Zaman, M.H. & Mannan, M., (2018). Awareness on climate change: Perceived physical
and psychological impact among the young generation – Least developing country‟s perspective. Interdisciplinary
Environmental Review, 19(1), 91-101. Publisher: Inderscience. Ranked by Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) – C
rank.
Hossain, M. A., Zaman, M.H., & Rahman, M.S. (2018). Exploring Critical Factors for Measuring Brand Health:
Perspectives from NBFI International Journal of Business & Management Toronto (IJBMT), 5(1). Publisher: Athena.
Zaman, M.H., Hossain, M. A.& Rahman, M.S. (2018). Goodwill Automotive: Taking Light Engineering from Survival Mode
to Sustainable. Sage Business Case, Sage Publication.
Hossain, M. A., Hasan, R., Kibria, M. G., Mazmum, M. F. A. (2017). Factors Influencing the Usage of 3G Mobile Services:
An Empirical Study on Bangladesh Young Citizens. North-South Business Review, 8(1), 16-28. Publisher: School of
Business, North South University, and Ranked by Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) – C rank.
Ms. Shahneela Naheed
Chowdhury, T. A., & Naheed, S. (2017). A theoretical model of political marketing mix in developing countries: Case of
Bangladesh. North South Business Review, 8(1), 52-72.
** Authors are listed in alphabetical order*
GDay 2018 Bangladesh
“GDay 2018 Bangladesh: Entrepreneurial success through
technology and leadership skills” was held at North South
University on February 10, 2018. Engaging directly with
over 600 participants, the program was the largest of its
kind held in Bangladesh.
GDays are a series of large-scale events conceptualized by
Google for business graduates, tech enthusiasts, and
entrepreneurs. These programs are spearheaded by Google
Business Groups (GBG), communities of business
professionals operating in over 100 locations all around the
world. GBG Sonargaon is one such community and
organized “GDay 2018 Bangladesh”, in partnership with
North South University.
The day-long program consisted of seven separate tracks spanning a wide variety of topics, including engaging
startups and business students in a series of hands-on training, incorporating leadership skills into the
future leaders, and mining insights using Google technology to make informed strategic decisions. Track 7,
the final track of the day, was a motivational session, with a panel of very inspirational speakers. Mr. Iresh
Zaker, Executive Director, Asiatic JWT; Ms. Fatema Rizwana, HR Director, Nestlé Bangladesh; Ms. Nazika
Imam, Head of HR and ER, HSBC; Mr. Hussain Elius, CEO, Pathao; and Mr. Ayman Sadiq, CEO, 10 Minute
School – covered the importance of knowledge, leadership skills, and humility that is required of leaders. They
spoke at length about the passionate journey of an entrepreneur as well as the hardships that entrepreneurs
have to battle with on a regular basis, and also discussed overcoming various challenges that women face in
their career.“This event was not only a learning experience for the participants but also a great networking
place,” commented Touhid Choudhury, Senior Vice President, Product Management at Kona Software Lab
Ltd. “We are extremely delighted to be a part of GBG Sonargaon‟s journey and hope they maintain this
momentum regarding touching more lives with technology and leadership skills,” said Mr. Tawhidur Rahman,
Managing Director of Softograph. “Students need to collaborate and network more with each other as well as
with the industry. GBG Sonargaon‟s “GDay 2018 Bangladesh” offered that very opportunity, and we‟re excited
to be a part of this event,” emphasized Ms. Shanta Zahir, Director of NSUCPC and Senior Lecturer at NSU.
The managers of GBG Sonargaon, Ms. Narmin Tartila Banu, Mr. Affan Chowdhury, Mr. Ehsanul Hoque and
Mr. Sayed Rafiul Islam, expressed their gratitude towards Google specially Ms. Erica Hanson, Developer
Relations Program Manager, Southeast Asia and Mr. Marcus Foon, GBG Community Manager – Global, as
well as all the partners who whole-heartedly provided support for the event. “The support and encouragement
of the faculty community of NSU goes to show how much emphasis educators place on the opportunity for
educating the community beyond a regular curricula,” said Ms. Narmin Tartila, who is also a Senior Lecturer
at NSUSBE.
CLUB ACTIVITIES
Hashtag Marketing V.3
„#Marketing‟ is a Digital Marketing Competition that
provides a real-life experience of developing and
stimulating a brand‟s online vision. The first version of
it was held in 2015 creating a buzz as it broke through
the boundaries of generic business competitions by
creating a whole new type of platform. Continuing the
legacy, in 2018, the organizers came together once
again to launch a new and better version of this
competition. But this time they agreed to formulate the
competition in such a way so that any university
student of the nation could participate. With much
anticipation, The Marketing Club of North South
University launched their first inter-university digital
marketing competition of Bangladesh „#Marketing V.3‟
with the tagline “Join the Webolution”, sponsored by
Linkus and powered by Index Group.
A workshop was held on March 2, 2018, to prepare the participants for the upcoming challenges. It was
conducted by Mr. Mir Shahrukh Islam and Mr. Zafir Shafiee Chowdhury, who are the Managing Directors at
Bondstein and Co-Founders of Singularity Interactive. After the Workshop session, the case for Round 1 was
handed out to the participants via the Linkus app. An important national issue which was the question paper
leakage of the Board Examinations of Bangladesh was placed as the focal point of the case. 307 teams
competed against each other to get to Round 2. After a thorough evaluation of the solved cases by the judges,
thirty best teams were selected to step into the next round. This time the participating teams were asked to
create campaigns that will help to enhance the market reach of Linkus, the Title Sponsor of the event.
Ultimately, six best teams made it to the Grand Finale.
The Grand Finale of this exciting digital marketing competition was held at the Plaza Area of North South
University on March 30, 2018. A momentous evening was witnessed during the announcement of the
Winners. „The Bridge‟ took the crown and became the Winner of #Marketing V.3. The first runner up was
Team „Clean Slate‟, and „Team GreyJoy‟ took the stage as the 2nd Runner-Up. Md. Muntakim Ashraf, Vice
President of FBCCI, was the Chief Guest of the evening. Also in attendance were Mr. Ye Liang, the Managing
Director, CEO of Linkus, Mr. Kawser Ahmed, the Managing Director of Rupsha Group and the Vice President
of Bangladesh Motorcycle Assemblers & Manufacturers Association (BMAMA), and Mr. Asaduzzaman
Kohinoor, General Secretary of Handball Federation & Deputy Secretary of Bangladesh Olympic Federation.
Besides, the honorable Pro-Vice Chancellor (Designate), Dr. G.U. Ahsan, respected Dean of School of Business
& Economics, Dr. Mohammad Mahboob Rahman and Assistant Professor, Dr. Farzana Nahid, were present.
After a dazzling prize giving ceremony, a grand Gala Dinner was arranged for the honorable Guests, Judges,
Finalists, Faculty Members and BOT members to end the event with harmony and joy.
EVENT CALENDAR
MESSAGEE FROM THE EDITOR
This may quite possibly be my last semester in charge of
the newsletter. Although I hope to move beyond my comfort
zone to face new and exciting challenges, it is nonetheless a
bittersweet feeling to leave behind something that I looked
after for three years, almost from its inception. I can only
hope that you have enjoyed reading these tri-yearly issues
of the newsletter as much as I have enjoyed working on
them. Until we meet again - au revoir!
Tashfeen Ferdous Saeed
Lecturer
Department of Marketing & International Business
Event Date Organizing Body Venue
Structural equation modeling: Theory and practice of SEM using
Mplus
Thursday, February 1,
2018
Facilitated by:Dr. Mohammad Tayeenul Hoque
MIB Conference
Room
IQAC Workshops Thursday, February 8, 2018
Departmental Self-Assessment Committee
Facilitated by: Mr. Mahmud H. Zaman and Mr. Riasat M. Amir
SBE Dean‟s Conference
Room
GDay 2018 Bangladesh Saturday, February 10,
2018
Facilitated by:Ms. Narmin Tartila Banu AUDI 801
Hashtag Marketing V 3.0 Friday, March 2,
2018 – Friday, March 30, 2018
The Marketing Club
Facilitated by:Mr. Mohammed Abdul
Mumin
AUDI
801/NSU Plaza Area
International Journey of HATIL
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Student Engagement Committee
Facilitated by:Ms. Farzana Choudhury
NAC 601
EPRT Visit Saturday, March 17, 2018 – Monday, March 19, 2018
Departmental Self-Assessment Committee
Facilitated by: Mr. Mahmud H. Zaman and Mr. Riasat M. Amir
Dean‟ Conference
room and MIB conference
room
MKT 465 Guest Speakers Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Facilitated by:Ms. Narmin Tartila Banu NAC 619/NAC 407